Martin Brundle is against the removal of tyre warmers
The former driver, now commentator, thinks that this decision by the FIA "makes no sense". This rule will be enforced from 2024 onwards.
Formula 1 continues its transformation. For several seasons, several decisions have shaken its ecosystem. In this regard, the FIA has started to modify the tyre blankets, used to keep the tires at the right temperature.
The removal of these accessories, present in Formula 1 since 1977, at the initiative of Antoine Véla, and of which Ligier was the first beneficiary, follows the ecological process that the sport has set for itself. This process has gone through several stages since 2021.
From 100 degrees to 50 degrees in 2023
Since the 2021 season, the maximum temperature for tire blankets has been reduced to only 100°C at the front and 80°C at the rear. For the 2022 season, only a temperature of 70°C was allowed for all slick tires. This had the advantage of reducing the number of thermal covers from 40 to 20 per team. For the current season, the temperature of these covers has been decreased again to only 50 degrees for both front and rear tires.
This new regulation also aims to reduce costs for the teams, who now have to comply with a budget cap.
More accidents according to Brundle
Martin Brundle, F1 commentator for the BBC and former driver, believes that the removal of tyre warmers “makes no sense”: « The cars will crash, cancelling out the savings and efficiency gains. The drivers and track marshals will be exposed to more risks. The most expensive and inefficient way to heat up race tyres during practices, qualifying sessions, and races is by using an F1 car. »
To support his argument, the former holder of the record for the most Formula One Grand Prix races without standing on the podium (91) uses the example of Ferrari driver Antonio Fuoco’s accident during the World Endurance Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend. The 26-year-old driver crashed while exiting the pits with cold tires.
The project of completely removing heated blankets by 2024 is still on the negotiating table. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, among others, have already expressed their disapproval during the 2021 season.
